Mother blames outdated vehicle for son’s death

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The mother of a soldier who died in a poorly protected vehicle during the Iraq
war said that she blames the Ministry of Defence for failing to provide more
adequate equipment to the frontline faster.

Private Phillip Hewett, 21, was killed along with two other troops when their
Snatch Land Rover struck a roadside bomb in the southern town of al-Amarah
in 2005.

His mother, Susan Smith, said that the outdated vehicle, which was originally
designed to be used in riots in Northern Ireland, should have been replaced
sooner, and blames the MoD for wasting time over procurement.